/diy/ - Do It Yourself

i'm going out on a limb here and assuming this board is a very slow mover?

(i don't post here often)

interest bump

I doubt this is a feasible idea. Any plastic surface that sees high wear like a keyboard is unsuitable to be painted. The paint will wear off in places.

>>211776
First of all this, and also you can get a new black keyboard for the price of a can of paint. Seriously, sometimes you guys seem to try reinventing the wheel with bricks.

>>211778
>>211776
Yes. And if you have any fancy keyboards with colored coatings, or even the letters on keys, they wear out despite industrial paint and prep. If you absolutely must have black keys rit dye might do the trick.

>>211740
It would be cheaper to just buy a new, matte black keyboard than it would be to paint it properly. If you are insistent on the paint though, here's what you'll have to do...

1. Disassemble the entire keyboard
2. Sand every single key, as well as any other part of the keyboard you'll be touching, lightly with fine sand paper (I suggest around 300 to 400)
3. Prime the damn thing black with an actual primer
4. Spray paint the damn thing black with actual spray paint
5. Spray paint it again with another layer of black
6. (Optional: will improve the survivability of the paint, but make it less matte) Spray it with a matte varnish

I'm just tossing an idea out there, regardless if it is feasible or not.

Imagine taking the keyboard apart, taking the keys and attaching them to a board and protecting their undersides. Then you swirl dip them in paint like what Swirlybird (swirlybird !PsI/YHInRc) does. You do the same thing with the keyboard's case. Perhaps you can just take the keyboard apart, remove the innards, replace it with foam or something you can sink the keys into so they are in the same positions as normal then swirl dip pain it. That way the swirls would match keys and case. You'd put the keyboard back together and hand paint the characters and such on the keys (take a photo of it first before doing this to help you later). Apply a clear finish spray coat for the keys (remove keys again for this step).

I know this can be done, but I also know it would take some practice with swirl dip painting, proper preparation of the plastic (course sandpaper perhaps?), and patience.

>thread related to pic,
http://archive.installgentoo.net/diy/thread/154210

>>211786

and where's the step where OP paints on the letters, and somehow makes them rub-off proof?

There are tons of Keyboards at the thrift store in all colors for $2-$3, which is cheaper than a can of spraypaint. Of course, you'll need to disassemble it, dunk in in water for 15 minutes, then use a toothbrush with soap to remove the ick-factor.

>>211792
I actually don't want letters or anything on the keycaps. I just want it completely matte black.

Kind of unrelated but i figured i'd ask here rather than make a new thread.

Can you swap out the key caps for a Mionix Zibal 60 for the all black keycaps of a Das Keyboard?

>>211791
im totally going to paint my mouse now

>>211804 oops forgot to namefag

>>211786
This. Also, if you paint the keys, you'll be painting over the legends on the tops as well. Do you really want a keyboard with no markings on the keys?

>>211812

yes absolutely, I should have just went for a complete black keybaord to begin with.

I have a Mionix Zibal keyboard.

Don't get me wrong I love it and everything.... but I realized I really don't need the backlighting and I would much prefer a clean all matte black look.

>>211776
this. i painted alot of parts on the inside of my old car, so much paint wore off in highly used areas. i still have red paint all over my jacket despite the fact that i got rid of the car almost 7 years ago.

>>211898
your probably in all honesty better off dying it i would imagine some sort of heat-dying process?

>>211910

i would have been better off dying in retrospect sometimes youve got to make a mistake to learn from. i did use appropriate vinyl and plastic paints and i should have also clear coated, but it was hard to ever spend too much on that car considering i only paid 2000 for it. hell when i lost a hubcap i couldn't even justify paying for a decent set of replacement i just drove the steelies.

>>211910
>>211925
>>211898

Would I be able to dye the key caps?

What the hell would that involve?

Do you know of Das Keyboard keycaps would fit a Mionix Zibal?

Am I the only one finding it really hard to believe that it's not feasible to spray paint keyboard key caps?

I've read that this will work.

Can anyone else confirm this?

It's Black VHT Dye

>>211949

you COULD do it but it's not practicle. not only would painting keys cover up what they are, unless you used a damn good paint and a good share of clear coat you'll probably just wear through the paint after a while.

ontop of all that to do a top notch paint job you'll be doing alot of sanding (prep, in between base, paint, clear)and i doubt plastic computer keys take well to sanding.

probably the most effective way would be the swirl paint job mentioned here >>211791 but i'm sure you'd have to do at minimal a white basecoat.

you can get alot of good how to's on how to do that by looking up "ibanez jem swirl paint job" all you really need is a bucket, water, borax, and some enamel paints like what you'd use when building models.

here's a video how to here

http://youtu.be/EpJIaVRj4qY

>>211965

I already said I want them to be all black. I don't need to see what the keys are if I already know what they are in the first place.

How do manufactures go about painting the key caps without the paint coming off?

>>211966

i'd say probably a small silk screen process more than likely but i don't know for sure. i think it'd be cool if you did some custom lettering for your custom keyboard, but in all honesty a keyboard just painted black will more than likely look like ass.

>>211969

How in the name of god would you silk screen key caps??

As far as I know that would be utterly impossible...

>>211966

They simply mold them from colored plastic.

>>211970

have you ever silkscreened? you only need a screen about the size of what your printing. not to mention it's an automated process, there isn't some chinese guy sitting there painting q's all day.

>>211972

Not all keycaps are molded from colored plastic....

>>211974

Yes, I have. Good luck trying to screen print something that small that has a concave surface such as a key cap.

>>211977

Screening is still used on keyboard lettering along with other, less easily-abraded, methods:

http://www.keysourcechina.com/seven-technologies-of-keycap-printing.html

>>211982

Notice the keys it shows as an example are FLAT.

I used that stuff for a DIY lens hood for my camera.

I was painting polypropylene, which is a very hard plastic to paint, and it worked fine.

>>212033

That stuff as in...?

Stuff in the OP, Krylon Fusion, matt black.